CROWDS turned out to say goodbye to one of the town's most loved pets on Saturday.

Bobo the donkey was Walton Hall Children’s Zoo's oldest residents and adored by generations of youngsters before his sad death in December.

The gentle giant was 29-years-old and had suffered various health problems over the past couple of years including Cushing’s disease and dental problems before vets found he had a twisted gut and had run out of options to treat him.

Rangers said they were so overwhelmed by the outpouring of grief from residents they decided to hold a memorial service for well-wishers, led by Rev Stephen Kingsnorth at Walton Hall.

During the ceremony, carrots were laid out in front of a picture of Bobo and the congregation sang the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful before his ashes were buried beneath the headstone which read 'A very loved donkey of the children's zoo'.

Peter Cookson, who hand reared Bobo after his mother was poorly and had him living in his house for six months, said he was touched by the number of people who had attended the service. 

He added: "Thousands of children have grown up visiting Bobo. 

"He was a big character in the zoo and will be sadly missed."